Hinge mechanism for railway-car trap-doors.



R. T. AXE.

HINGE MBOHANISM FOR RAILWAY GAR TRAP DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1912.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHU..WASHINGTON, D, C.

UNITEDSTATES OFFICE?? Y 1' Y noY vrr. AxE, or sYRacUsn, NEW Yoan,fnssreivoa'ro otvnn EDWARDS, on

*sYnAcUsia nitwxonx.l i

HINGE MEGHANISM Iron nAiLwAmcAR TRArmoons.

specia'catioa of Lettesratent. y

ToaZZ whom @may concern: f

Beit known thatlf, ROY T.7 Axn, of Syra-` euse, in the county ofOnondaga and State of New York, have invented` afcertain new and usefulHingeMechanismffor Railway-- Car Trap-Doors,`,0f which the following isa specification. p A

This invention relates to trap doors for railway car.` platforms andparticularly to the spring hinge mechanismtherefor; and the `inventionconsists in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth andclaimed. p

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing in which like characters designate 'corresponding parts in allthe views. i

Figure l is a plan, partly broken away, of a trap door provided with myinvention, the contiguous part of the frame of the car being also shown.Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the hinge mechanism andcontiguous portion of the door.` Fig. 3 is an isometric view, partlybroken away, of the arbor of the mechanism, with one spring thereon. v pi Thistrap door mechanism for railway car `vestibules comprises,generally, a plurality of independently acting` springs for raising thedoor. i i

1 is the floor of the trap door which may be of any desirable form, sizeand construction. i

2 is a spring barrel associatedfwith the4 door. i v

3 is an arbor or stai forming party of the hinge mechanism, `the arborlextending" through the barrel 2 and being designed to be connected tothe frame 4 of the'car and fixed relatively thereto.

5 are coil springs on the arbor, each being v connected at one'end tothe arbor and at yits.

other end to the door or barrel in orde-r to move the door in one`direction. l

As herefshown the'barrelQfis `formed with laterally extending flanges 6,7 for lapping respectively the upper and lower pori` tions of the floor1 of the door, theseflanges 6, 7 forming betweenthem, `a channelextending substantially tangential relatively tothe interior ofthebarrel portion 2 `and open at its opposite ends, or atleast one end.

being non-circular or square and iittedinto` I, y y i Patent-adoos. 13,1914.

VApplicationiled August 22,1912. Serial 110.716,34?.

4"rile arbor s is fixed` a ageing in nantis a similar shaped opening ina sleeve 11 i which engages directlywith thebarrel, the

:sleevell having a square end 12 projecting `beyond the bearing` 9inorder to beengaged by a `suitable tool for turning theyarbor to tensionthe springs, the sleeve `lltur'ning with the arbor. When said arbor hasbeen.A i

` turned suliiciently it is held initsV adjusted postion by )suitablefastening ineansas a screw `13 extending transversely `throng'hf theIbearing 9 and the sleeve 11. y i i i VThe springs 5 are preferablyhelical cylin- `drical springs and encircle the arbor side `byside, oneend as 14 of each spring being. bent to enter a lengthwise `peripheralgroove"` 15 in the arbor and thefother end as 16 lbe'- ing extendedlaterally `to enter the` czhani'iel"` i formed between the Alianges `6andffZ.` The radial ywalls of theI groove l'v'form abut?" ments forcorresponding ends,` `of the springs 5.

`As before stated the channel formed by i theangesiand `7 opensthroughopposite ends of the barrel and the groove 15 opens through one end ofthe arbor and hence the springs can be removed and inserted by anendwise` sliding movement.y c

. This hinge mechanism isparticularly ad- `va'iitageous in that, if oneor more of thesprings breakwhen the car is enroute, the

door will be raised by theremaining springs and further that thespringsare easilyl removed land replaced. 11nA the lt'rapdoors` i,nowin` use, when the springs become broken,

the door mustbe lifted manuall-v-` c What vI claim is: l v1.- A hingemechanism for trap doors com prising a barrel, an arbor or staffextending through the barrel, and, a plurality of springs movable intothe barrel and onto the arbor through .the same end ofthe barrel andbeing `independentlyl connected toI the barrel andl the arbor,substantiallywas "and ,v

for the purposewdescribed.

2. A hinge mechanism for prising a barrel, an arbor or staff extendingthrough thebarrel, aplurality of springs imovable intothebarrel and ontothe arbor trap' doors comsof through one and the same end of the barrel,f and `being independently connected tothe barrel tothe arbor, thesprings lbeingl movable into `and out of operative engage- .inentwiththe barrel and the arbor by an axial movement, substantially as and forthe purpose specified. 1

3. A hinge'meehanisin forl trap'doors. comprising a barrel, `an arbor orstaff extending through the; barrel, and a plurality of springs movableinto the barrel. on the larbor through one end of the barrel and b eingindependently connected to the barrel and the arbor,; the springs havinga sliding .andinterloclring engagement with the arbor y"and "the barrel,substantially as and forther v ing through one end face. thereof, and aplurality of independentlyacting springs coiled Y about the arbor, eachhaving a portion'thereof bent. to enter the gro-ove, and another portionconnectedto the door, the springs being slidable byran endwise movementlinte operative y'connection with the arbor and the door, substantiallyas and for the purpose described. l l

l5. A hinge mechanism for trap doors for railway car platformscomprising a spring barrel associated with the door andv having aportion formed with a. lengthwise channel extending laterally from theinterior of the l barrel portion thereof, and a' plurality .of

" coil springs arranged side by side in the'barrel', each spring beingadapted to be connected` aty one end to al xed point relatively to thedoorv and havingy its other end provided with an arm extending into thechannel and movable therein by anendwise movement of the spring,substantially as and for the purpose specified. e y

6. Ahinge mechanism for-trap doors for railway ear platforms comprisinga spring barrely associated with the door,` and having extendinglaterally from the interior of the lbarrel portion, ank arbor designedto be xed tending through the barrel, and a plurality of coil springsarranged side by side on` the arbor and within the barrel, each springhaving one end secured to the arbor and its .other endf extending intothe channel, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

7. A hinge mechanism for trap doors for railway car platforms comprisinga spring barrel associated with' the door' and having extendinglaterally from kthe interior of the barrel portion, the .barrelportionand the channel portion being openat corresponding ends, an arbordesigned' to be fixed' relatively to the y'door and' the barrelandextending' fixed' lbarrel and into connection with the arbor irailway'ear platforms comprising a spring tending thro-ugh the barrel,the arbor havhaving one end thereof bent to enter the vportion of thebarrel by an endwise movement, substantially as. and for the purposespecified.

lrel' along` one edge thereof, the barrel having `opposing liangesextending laterally from `the barrel portion thereof and designed to lapupper and lower portions of the iioor of 1 the door, and to form achannel opening into ,the interior of the barrel portion, an arbor:designed to be fixed relatively to the barrel i and extendingtherethrough, the arbor being iformed with a lengthwise peripheralgroove, and a plurality of cylindrical coil springs `on the arbor, eachspring having one end 105 thereof adapted to enter the groove of thetarbor and the other end' thereof extending laterally to enter thechannel, the springs I being movable into the barrel and into the arborby an endwise sliding movement, sub- 110 g stantially as and for thepurpose set forth. a portion formed with a lengthwise channel :l

. barrel, each spring having one end. secured i to the arborand itsother end extending into the channel, and being movable into the by anendwise sliding movement, substaiitially. as and for the purposedescribed.

8. A hinge mechanism for trap doors for 5 barrel associated with thedoor and having a 7 portion formed with a lengthwise channel extendinglaterally from the interior of the barrel portion, an arbor designed tobe fixed relatively to the door and the barrel and ex- 80 a lengthwisegroove openin through one end thereof, and a plurality of coil springsarranged side by side on the arbor, each spring groove of tliearbor andthe other end thereof arranged to enter the channel portion of thebarrel, the springs being movable into engagement with the arbor and thechannel 9. In combination, a trap door for railway car platforms, thesame having a spring bar- In'combination, a barrel having an engagingsurface extending substantially v y y throughout the length thereof, atrap door relatively to the door and the barrel and exassociated withthe barrel, bearing members,

thereof, and a plurality of springs havingt M0 corresponding endsbearing against the abut- `ment, and. other corresponding ends engagingsaid surface of the barrel, substantially Y A f as and for the purposedescribed. a portion formed with a lengthwise lchannel l1. In a carplatform trap door and in combination, a barrel, an arbor or staffexgagement with the abutment Iand `its other `of Onondaga, in the Stateof New1 end in engagement With 1a. part of the barrel, 9th day ofAugust, 1912. 1 substantially as and for the purpose de- 1 ,ROY T. AXE.scrlbed. 1 1 5 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Witnesses: 1 signedmy name in the 1.presence of two at- 1 CEAS. H. YOUNG, 1 Ftesting'wtnesses, at Syracuse, in the county LILLIAN M. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtined for ve cents ech, by` addreesing`the Commissioner of Patents,"

l 1 1 Washington,1]). C. 1 1

